Life after Death
by Marlow Kaye
Summary: The Flock has just defeated Itex. This is the story of their lives after.
1. Bye Bye Itex

I blinked. The sun's rays pushed through the smoke and as that clouded the sky like a black fog. I looked down. Self examination time. Fingers? I wiggled each, one by one. Check. Legs? Check. Hair? My hand flew to the top of my head. A sigh of relief escaped my mouth as strands of dark blond hair wrapped themselves around my hand. Check.

Flock?

"REPORT!" I screamed, but a harsh cough followed from inhaling the unbreathable air. I saw and heard movement to my left and saw a bleach blond head emerge from the debris. "Gasman!" I jumped up with all the energy I had and limped over to him. The boy had a scratch along his left cheek that was oozing blood left and right. "Oh, Gazzy! You okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he replied. Gazzy pushed the garbage of his legs and I lifted a large piece of concrete off of his right arm, which was already swollen, purple and hanging at a weird angle. "Where's Angel?"

"Right here." Angel, my baby. She was alive, and looked untouched. "You know, it's easier to not be hurt if you fly away?" She spun a circle in the air, then landed gracefully on the ground next to her brother. I looked amazed at the little seven year old. She had grown a lot in this past year, but still looked young and naive. But we all knew better. Angel smirked at my thoughts.

Nudge trudged over to us, a grumpy and unsatisfied look on her face. Her dark hair was a complete mess and she was picking pieces of wood and rock out of it. "Well the room service here? SUCKS," She growled. The rest of us laughed. Nudge had been whining about the hotel all morning and night since we had arrived in Texas. Nothing could reach her standards. I reached out and wrapped her in a hug. "Oh, Max," She cried as her arms moved around my waist. "I don't know if this saving the world thing is working for me,"

"Good thing it's over," I replied, rubbing her back between her wings.

"It is?" I turned around in time to see Iggy struggling over to where we were crowded. I released Nudge, who walked over to Angel for a hug, and walked over to Iggy. I grabbed his arm just below the wrist, but he shook it away. "I can do it, Max." His blind, blue eyes looked in my general direction, a stern look over coming his face. "I'm not dumb or clumsey. Just blind." I sighed and stepped back. Ig expertly manuvered his way over the rock piles and sat right next to Gasman, who had started a fire.

"Um, Max?" Nudge looked at me. "Where's Fang?" I searched what I could see, which wasn't much.

"I don't know." I felt my heart break. Please let him be okay.

"FANG!?" I called his name over and over again, but no reply. I looked at the flock, who were sitting around the fire, each one with their eyes on me. Even Ig. "I have to go find him, guys." I said. They all nodded. Angel stood up and walked up to me, her sad eyes full of comprehension.

"You'll find him, Max," She smiled sweetly, taking hold of my hand. "He's alive."

"I know. I can feel it." I whispered. I kissed her forehead and pushed her back to the fire. "Ig is in charge. Stay here." They nodded again and I took off.

My wings flipped open and I looked down at the ground. I couldn't see it. The explosion had made so much smoke that there was no ground when you were 30 feet in the air.

"FANG?!"


	2. Fang's notsosecret

I woke up in a daze. I could barely see and what was seen was blurry and bright. I was lying in rubble. That explosion didn't go well. Ugh. Iggy and Gasman were wrong about the strength this time. I sat up straight from that rock, rubbing a sore spot on the back of my head. It felt warm and wet. I looked at my hand. Damn it. Blood drenched my hand from a not-too-deep cut that was in the middle of my skull. The rocks that had been my pillow were all unnaturally red as well.

I heard a voice calling my name. It sounded like Max. "MAX!!" I screamed. A pain shot through the back of my head like somebody had kicked me multiple times. I yelped in pain. I had never felt this kind of pain before. Ever.

"Fang?" I heard a thud behind me and felt the soft touch of Max's hand on my shoulder. "Fang! Oh, no!"

"It's okay, Max," I looked up at her. The sun shone like a halo behind her beautiful blond hair and tan, scarred face. Her deep brown eyes flashed concern and worry as well as relief. My hand moved to her face and I rubbed her cheek with my thumb.

"Fang, I was so scared! I called you, over and over and over-"

"And now you found me," I whispered. "Don't worry about me Max." I watched as tears formed in her eyes. My heart broke. "I'm not about to break that promise."

She wiped a tear away and put on her brave face. "What's hurt?"

"So far just my head," I revealed my hand to her. Not the worst thing that has ever happened to me before, but it was throbbing pretty badly. I scanned the rest of my body. "I think I'm overall in pretty good shape,"

"Good." Max stood up. "Because we have to get back to the flock." I stood as well and nodded. Her wings unfurled to their full length. Mine did the same. We jumped into the air and flew up about twenty five feet. The smoke was beginning to disappear and we could barely see the ground, but who would want to. Pieces of Itex covered the place and every once in a while, you could see the not-so-fortunate Itex employees. As horrible as it was, I felt quite satisfied.

_**You gonna tell her yet?**_

_No Angel,_ I thought. _Not yet._

_**She feels the same way. You should tell her. **_

My heart was pounding. I looked over at Max. She was so strong, mentally as well as physically. How could I not be in love?

_**Tell her Fang. **_

I shook my head. _No._

"What?" Max was looking at me. She gave me the look. I smirked.

"Nothing."

She sighed. "Whatever. Just don't tell me you have a voice too. We can't have 2 clinically insane people in one flock." She chuckled at her own joke and went back to flying.

Max glowed in the sunlight. Did she really love me too? Could she love me? How can she love me when I barely speak to her?

_**She thinks you are strong too. As much as it annoys her, she really likes how secretive you are too. And she trusts you. **_

_Thanks, Angel. _

_**Tell her Fang, She will find out sooner or later, and sooner may be the best option. For everyone. **_

_Everyone?_

_**The whole world Fang. Please tell her. **_

And with that, we landed.


	3. Going Home

We had been flying for about four hours on our way to... somewhere. Now that there was no reason to be on the run, the flock had agreed to find a place to call home. Where that would be? No idea.

"Let's live in Disneyland!" Gazzy had offered before we had taken off. I laughed at the idea, mentioning that there would be a lot of people there and it wouldn't be free. His eyes presented glimmers of hope. "But maybe if we lived there, we could make more friends," He looked down at my shoes. I felt like a horrible leader.

I sighed to myself and looked to Fang, who had been very quiet and hadn't taken his eyes off of me since we had landed, for some help. He shrugged and I glared. "Gazzy," I started. He gazed at me, his sad blue eyes making me uncomfortably low. "I know it sounds fun, and yes, we would meet a lot of new people. But what if someone sees us? Sees our wings? We'd become a tourist attraction. People wouldn't exactly want to be our friends. They'll only want a picture with us." I felt horrible for being the bearer of bad news, but it had to be done. I was NOT going to live in Disneyland. The Gasman nodded solemnly and sat down on a rock.

"What about my idea?"

I glanced at Fang. "You found our island yet?"

"Maybe." My eyes widened. How could he have found an island, secluded and restricted, that hadn't already been taken over by the human population?

_**How could we been genetically modified to have wings?**_

_Touché . _I thought to Angel._ Smart aleck. _She grinned.

Fang stood up from the pile of rubble he had been sitting on and whipped out his laptop from his backpack. Setting it down on his ex-perch, he pulled up Google Earth. "Here." He pointed just left to the Washington Peninsula. "If you zoom, nothing is there. But, there's an island." I gave him my signature and-you-know-this-how?-look. He smirked. "Trust me?" he whispered so quietly that I doubt the rest of the flock, sans Angel, heard him.

"Um... of... of course," I looked at him suspiciously, as he packed his laptop away without taking his eyes off of mine.

"Then let's go" he looked to the flock. "You guys in?" They glanced at one another, then a chorus of Sures and What the hecks sounded. We unfurled our wings at once and jumped into the air. We were on our way home.

* * *

We were over Seattle and had less than an hour before we would arrive at Fang's island. _Our_ island. I could hear The Gasman describing the Space Needle to Iggy behind me, and Nudge raving over how she wanted so badly to see the fashion of Seattle. "Seattle is known for its art, Ange." She babbled.

"Isn't Seattle known for grunge more though?" replied Angel. "Nirvana, Pearl Jam..."

"But who cares about grunge?" I imagined Nudge scrunching her nose at the thought of people choosing to wear the plaid flannel and men with long hair, rocking out to insane tunes. "Besides, music is a form of art. Therefore..." I decided to tune her out. I liked grunge music. Especially Nirvana. I had a special place in my heart for In Bloom and Smells like Teen Spirit.

I looked up at the silent one, who was flying right above me. He looked pale. "You okay?"

He looked down and I saw a hint of green in his complexion, but he hid any sign of sickness from his facial expression. "Yeah." That's Fang for you. Strong, Silent, and Stubborn.

"How is your head? Still hurting you?"

"Nope."

"Not even a little?" His expression changed. He was thinking. "You can tell me. I won't judge you for being in pain." I smiled up at him. "Have I ever before?" I saw a glimpse of a grin, but it went away as quickly as it came.

"Will you check it to see if it's healed?" I nodded and he shot forward and ducked to fly below me. I could see a large pink, puffy scar across the back of his head, right in the middle of his charcoal colored hair.

"It is healing."

"Okay, thanks." He flipped around so that he was flying upside down and circled so that he was above me again. I shook my head and looked down at city. The lights were beginning to turn on. The sky was darkening. I looked back at the flock. Angel looked exhausted.

_**I'm so tired, Max. Today was overload. **_

_I know. I'm sorry we didn't give you enough rest after the whole Itex thing. _

_**It's okay. I just can't wait to be home. **_

Me either.


	4. Destroying Itex and Finding Love

**A/N: hey guys! I know some of you have been wondering what happened before. I have been 'subtly' mentioning an explosion and the destruction of Itex… so here is what happened! Enjoy ****J and PLEASE review with ideas for the storyline and comments or concerns!! the more you review, the faster chapters will arrive!**

THE MORNING BEFORE:

I sat up in bed. We were staying in a tiny little Motel 6 in Colorado, just outside boulder in a little town ironically named Loveland. The room that Angel, Nudge and I shared was stuffy and small, but we didn't care. Warm water and continental breakfast, along with room service, made up for the size.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in, Guys!" Angel yelled at the door, staring blankly at the TV, watching a cartoon sponge and his starfish friend. The door swung open and the Gasman ran into the room, his face covered in chocolate.

"Have you guys gone to the buffet down there?" he exclaimed. When the three of us shook our heads, Gazzy sighed loudly. "Oh. My. GOSH. It's ALL chocolate! Everything!! Ig and I went down there and-" Fang cleared his throat loudly, making us all turn to look at him. Gazzy revealed 3 candy bars and passed one to each of us. "We thought you might be hungry…" He said quietly, grabbing Iggy's hand and walking to sit by Angel on the bed. Nudge joined them.

Fang waltzed cool-ly over to where I was. "Have you told them?" He whispered.

"You mean have I told Nudge? No. Angel already knows." Angel flashed me a knowing smile. "You told the boys?" He shook his head. "Not Gazzy. But I told Ig a bit last night,"

"Sounds good." I exhaled. "Well, lets get it over with. Guys?" Four pairs of eyes flew my way. Angel turned the TV off. "Tomorrow's the day that we-"

"Destroy Itex?" Iggy asked.

"Yup," Fang said. "We have a fool-proof plan, but we need everyone's help."

"First. Iggy and Gasman. We need bombs. Big ones," Their eyes lit up. "But controllable big ones."

"That can be done." An evil smile slid across Iggy's face. "How big are we talking?"

"Big enough to destroy a building the size of 4 Super Wal-Mart's." Fang said. I looked at him. He shrugged. "I went by last night to check it out."

"Nudge," she sat up tall. "I need you to first be a distraction to the guards outside." Fang gave me a look. "You aren't the only one who flies at night," I answered. He showed off his smile, something only a rare few get to see. My heart pitter-pattered. "After we get inside, I need you to help with whatever electrical problems we run into."

"Got it." she said, suddenly serious. "Distract. Be technical."

"And me?" Angel smirked. She already knew her job, she just wanted everyone else to hear it.

"You are in charge of security. Making sure no one comes near. If anything seems out of place, it's your job to put it back. Kay?" I smiled at her. Oh, I would do almost anything for those big blue eyes and that cute grin. Of course, I'd do anything she wanted. She could make me.

"The plan starts in exactly," I looked at the clock by the beds. It was 6 o'clock pm. "Ten hours. I recommend some sleep." The rest of the flock agreed and began to stand up and say their goodnights. I made the girls say thank you for the chocolate, which Gazzy replied to with a grin and the mentioning that it was his idea.

"Take the kid to bed, Ig. I have to talk to Max."

"Figured." Ig rolled his blue, blind eyes around in their sockets and was pulled away by the exiting Gasman. Nudge ran into the bathroom to look in the mirror.

_**Please leave so I can get dressed. **_

Fang and I nodded. Apparently she had sent it to both of us. Fang opened the door and held it for me. "Ladies first," he mumbled.

I curtsied, holding up my invisible skirt, and left the room, Fang close behind. He put his hand on my lower back. "Let's go to the dining hall. Nobody is there." I shrugged my approval and we walked to the stairs, avoiding the elevator. We were all quite claustrophobes. We arrived to the big empty room that is usually full of guest. I turned to look at Fang and jumped when he was less than and inch away.

I swallowed and looked up at him, putting on my game face. "So I will take first watch-"

"Max."

"Oh, did you want first shift?"

"Max."

"I'll just take first shift till midnight. Then you can take over-"

Fang stepped closer and took my face in his hand. "Max," he leaned down and kissed my arguing mouth and I melted. Fireworks burst around my head like the fourth of July in NYC. My head was a record, spinning round and round and round and I couldn't stop. My heart was pounding like the drum line we had heard playing in Miami once. Arms tangled, his hands in holding my head, mine on his back beneath his wings. My fingers moved up an down his spine and I heard him moan happily and his left arm pulled me closer to him.

I flashed back to the beach when Fang was almost killed by Ari, my stupid, wolfy, baby brother. It was just what felt right, kissing Fang right then and there. That kiss had haunted my mind, but this one overpowered it times infinity.

I pulled away (not really wanting to, but hey, I'm Max.) and looked into Fang's eyes. He smiled and I was suddenly very happy that he was holding me.

"Hey," he whispered. "I'm not done yet"

"Who said I was?" I replied. Wow, Max. Cheesy? Check.

"Then come back here," He leaned in for more and my panic alarm went off. I hate that thing.

His face went blank, but I could see the hint of disappointment and sadness in his eyes. "Fang-"

"Don't say anything, Max." He said solemnly, releasing me as he started to walk off.

I grabbed his arm. "Come back here." His eyes raised to mine and I pulled him into a hug to avoid any awkward looks to be exchanged. I had to do it.

"Just in case I don't make it…" And with that, our lips locked and only opened when we heard people making breakfast for the guests in the kitchen.

* * *

The mission was simple. Get the bomb in. Get the hell out.

And with that we did. Nudge expertly distracted the guards with her motor mouth and a little help from Angel's gift of persuasion so that we could enter without being caught. Fang, Gaz and I destroyed anyone who crossed our path that wasn't being controlled by the seven-year-old. Nudge cracked the code to get into the center holding of the building, which also happened to hold more kids like us. Great. More mutant freaks.

"Max!" Angel said, running to a cage that contained another bird kid. The boy was about Angel's age. It looked like his mutation had gone wrong. He had bright yellow feathers growing on his head in a Mohawk fashion.

The boy saw us gawking and nodded. "'Name's Michael. Part cockatoo." We continued to Oooh and Aaahh as Nudge broke through the computerized lock. Michael thanked us and helped Nudge with the rest of the cages. About 50 children filled the room. There seemed to be a lot of bird kids.

_Angel. Watch for any passersby. _I thought.

_**Already on it, Max.**_

I called for silence in the room. "Alright. When I say go, Everyone fly up," I pointed to glass ceiling. Silly, Itex. "And get out of here. Run. Got it?" I saw a sea of nods. "Good." Iggy and Gasman walked up to me. My game face was on. "Got 'em?"

They smiled wickedly. Iggy's eyebrow raised as he pulled the sack of explosives off of his shoulders. "Big boy 2, Demon, and Hell boy, ready for action." I grinned.

"Fantastic. Set em' up." They ran off to the middle of the floor, Gazzy ushering everyone away while Iggy set them up. He pulled duct tape out of the bag and taped each one to the ground. He shifted my way and held a thumbs up into the air.

"We have about 50 seconds to get away, Max!" Gazzy yelled.

"GO!!!"

Wings snapped open everywhere and body's pushed through the glass, setting off an alarm. We flew outta there.

50 seconds later, I felt a shove in my back. I woke up in rubble.


	5. Welcome to the island

**A/N: Helloooooo readers. Thanks for the few *ahem* two people for reviewing! The next chapter will be posted as soon as I get 15 reviews. Can ya'll do that? Good luck;)**

At the Island

This. Place. Rocked.

I spun around, taking the view around me in and taking mental pictures of the scene. Six bird kids, battered and bruised, running around a tiny island in awe. Fang was sitting quietly as always on a boulder behind me. I sat down beside him, still looking everywhere but at him.

"So," There was a hint of happiness in Fang's voice. "What do you think? Can we call it home?"

"Call it whatever you want," I laughed out loud in shock. The island was better than I could have ever imagined. To my left was a giant rushing waterfall, that sank deep into a riverbed that twisted and turned around the island till it hit ocean. Tall pine trees were growing far and wide, forests ad forests of them. Angel and Nudge could be seen, cannonballing into the oceans waters. Nudge would come up for air right away. It took Angel a bit. Gazzy and Iggy were in the trees, cutting some down to build shelter.

Fang put his hand between my wings and rubbed. I sighed. "This is paradise, Fang." My eyes met his. He was glowing, a smile stretched across his face, and the brightness of his eye almost made me squint to look at him. "How the heck did you find it?"

He grinned even wider and leaned in. "Don't ask. Because I'm not tellin'." He kissed me. The second time in 3 days. A record.

I pushed away. "Fang!" My whisper was harsh. "What are you doing?" Where there had been surprise from my push, was now a calm, confident expression on his face. What was this boy up to?

"Meet me here after the Flock's asleep if you want answers," And with that, he jumped up from his sitting position and ran to help the boys. I shook my head and chuckled. _What am I going to do with him?_

* * *

3 huts were set up in the middle of the trees. The boys had been working hard all day to make them, while I had put Angel and Nudge to work with me to make beds from leaves, branches and anything else that would succeed in helping our slumber.

Nudge insisted that she share her hut with Angel. Gazzy and Iggy were destined to share theirs. Leaving the last hut for me. And Fang. Awkward? Check.

Thank goodness ours had separate rooms. I took the one that was larger. It smelled of pine and trees and wood in there. Flopping down onto My bed, which Angel had handcrafted specifically for me, was so comfortable that Mr. Sandman's first stop was yours truly. But it didn't last long enough.

A hand on my shoulder shook me awake. My arm reached out and blindly slapped it away. "Later. I'm sleeping." I moaned. The person's breath, one I recognized as very sweet, flew across my neck and shivers throughout my body.

"Fine then." Fang. Of course. "No answers." He kissed my neck and I heard him walk away from the bed.

I immediately sat up. "Hey there, Mister! Get back here!" I whispered, so as not to wake anyone else. It was pitch black outside except for the twinkling little stars that had decided to say goodnight. Fang's left eyebrow raised and he sat down on the edge by my hips. I leaned back, suddenly realizing I was alone with him. Entirely alone. On a bed. In my room. I had also realized something that I think I knew all along.

I love Fang.

The way he looks at me. The way he talks. How he flies. How he walks. (Hey, I'm a poet and I didn't even know it!) The way he scowls. How he would protect us against anything, even if that means loosing his own life in the process. The way he held me when I would cry, especially when that wasn't that often. But his smile was best of all. I loved Fang.

I gazed over at him, waiting. He gazed back, his eyes smiling while the rest of him was blank. Those eyes. Deep. Beautiful.

He cleared his throat. "Ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be, I guess." My voice was small.

He looked down at his hands. "We've been through a lot together, Max." He swallowed. "Some really great experiences. Some not so great." I chuckled and he glanced up at me with a smirk. "My point being that I'm glad I've shared all of this with you. I couldn't have done it without you. At all…" He inhaled deeply.

My heart cadenced again. I swore he could hear it. But he didn't seem to notice as he twiddled his thumbs in his lap.

He exhaled. Inhaled. My silently told him to hurry up and my heart to shut up. He finally looked up into my eyes and put a hand on my hip furthest from him. I followed by putting my hand on his arm. He smiled softly, leaning in close. He closed his eyes. "I love you Maximum Ride," And he kissed me, harder and more passionate than ever before.

We now had a home, secluded away from society. We had defeated Itex without killing any mutants. We had beds that we could call our own. Angel and Nudge and Iggy and the Gasman were all happy. Fang was happy. I was happy.

Fang loved me. I loved Fang.

(Cue Matt White's song "Best Days", my theme song for the day.)

This was the best day of my life.

**A/N: 15 Reviews if you want more! Stories not done yet! ****J**


	6. White Coats are the New Darth Vaders

**A/N: Well I got tired of waiting for reviews. Heres is the next chapter! :) (and to all who were confused, I'm not counting reviews by chapter, but by story. sorry if I was not clear enough with that little fact) PLEASE keep reading! if you have any ideas for a plot or whateva, mention it in a… *drum roll please*… REVIEW! thanks guys!**

The sun began to peek over the horizon just as Ella opened her eyes. Her alarm was blaring a high pitched beep that made her head throb. She sighed and threw her arm over to hit the snooze, rolling back over till it would beep once again 5 minutes later. But no more than thirty seconds passed till she heard the door squeak open and her mother's charming voice.

"Ella," she crooned in her ear. "Time for school. Get up sleepy head."

Ella threw her pillow over her face. "No." Dr. Martinez's voice turned stern.

"And why not?"

Ella moaned. "Because…" She sat up and looked at her mother. "Why can't I be like Max? Saving the world, having crazy adventures with my best friends and never having to worry about homework or bullies or boring teachers. Max has never gone to school."

Dr. Martinez's brows furrowed and she stared intently into her daughters brown eyes that mirrored her own. Max had them too. "You have no idea, Ella." She sighed loudly. "You miss Max, don't you?"

Her daughter nodded slowly. "Yeah. A lot." Ella looked across the room at her corkboard that was covered in pictures of herself, her friends and her family. Right smack in the middle was one of Ella, Dr. Martinez, and Ella's favorite and only sister, Max. The girls had their arms around each other in a tight hug, while their mother was behind them with a hand on each of them. It was Ella's favorite picture other than the one of her father, who had died when he was little.

"When is Max coming back?" Ella asked. She glanced at her mother and saw that tears were forming in her eyes. Dr. Martinez shook her head.

"When she finishes her job. She'll call soon. She always does."

There was a knock at the door. That was the last time Ella saw her mother.

* * *

We had been at the island for two weeks. I was in love. And not just with Fang.

The ocean was so calming, even when the wind picked up and made waves that would have crushed us all if we were standing close enough on the beach. The smell of salt calmed me down and helped me sleep, along with the mighty strong arms that were around me every night. (and NO, we did NOT do the naughty. keep the dirty thoughts out of your mind!) And best of all, everyone was ALWAYS smiling and laughing. For the first time in my life, I had found a place where, not only did we feel safe, but we loved it.

The mainland was only an hours flight away. Fang and I took turns to pick up groceries and other necessities. The town we'd stop at was called Anacortes, and was a small, Podunk town with a vintage style to it. I liked it. So much that I made visits to it often, just to sit at the bus stop, or sitting on Cap Sante's cliff edge watching the boats, or walking along the Tommy Thompson Trail, watching the refinery and cars driving quickly past on the freeway.

But the best part about Anacortes? Barely any kids. Everyone there was extremely old with no memory, parents watching little kids with no attention on you, or young kids smoking something strong, losing their memory.

One morning, I looked over at Fang, who was lying sideways with his eyes closed beside me. I nudged him slightly and he opened his eyes. "Fang?" He grunted. "How long has it been since we left my mom's house?" He closed his eyes tightly. Counting.

"I'm thinking about three weeks."

I jumped out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and ran to Fangs room to change out of my pajamas. When I came back to my room, Fang was sitting on the edge of the bed scratching his arm. "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

"Anacortes. I'm calling my Mom and Ella."

"I'm coming with." I looked at him questioningly. He shrugged. "I like your mom. The flock can watch each other. No worries." He smiled, stood up and kissed me before waltzing to his room to change as well. I shook my head, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll go tell 'em we're leaving!" I yelled to him. He grunted and I ran to the girls' hut.

Angel was awake. "Have fun," She smiled. Of course she knew. I winked at her and she returned it with a sly smile. What was going on with her?

I walked to Nudge's room. "Nudge, Fang and I are going to town, 'kay?" Nudge moaned and rolled to face me.

She wiped her eyes. "Um… can you get me some chap stick while your in town? My lips are killing me because their so dry,"

"Yes, of course. See you later," I shut the door and skipped to the boys hut and stood in the middle of their doorways. I couldn't chance going in there, for fear that I might see more than I would want. So I just yelled from where I was. "Guys! Fang and I are leaving! Be back soon!"

I heard and groan from Gasman's room and Iggy replied with an "Okay, cool."

That worried me. "And no blowing things up!"

"You take the fun out of everything." Iggy laughed.

_One hour later:_

We landed on a trail near Washington Park and walked, hand-in-hand, toward downtown Anacortes. It was a breezy, but sunny day, the perfect weather for walking AND flying. I mentioned this place was perfect, right? We found a pay phone just outside of town on H avenue. (Or as the sign said, H Ave. Oh, c'mon, that's FUNNY!)

I dialed Mom's number and waited. Ring. Ring. Ring. Maybe she was at work already.

The phone was finally picked up. "Max?!" It was Ella.

"Hey Ella! How's things at the homestead?" I smiled. Ella. Oh, how I missed her.

"Max you have to come home quick!" She sounded frantic. Freak-out-mode turned on.

"Ella, where's Mom?"

"She's gone Max. They came and took her!"

I looked at Fang with wide eyes. "Who?! Who took Mom?!?"

"They said they were from some school," My heart stopped. "They were wearing white coats," My eyes welled up with tears. "They said something about something going wrong and they needed her for experiments!"

The School had my mother.

**A/N: Dun, Dun, DUN!!! What will happen next?!? If you want to find out, review! 3 more reviews till the next chapter! **


	7. Where in the world is Dr Martinez?

**A/N: sorry i haven't posted in awhile! Please review! :)**

I flew home, (oh, how I love that word!) faster than I ever had before. My speed made it hard for Fang to catch up, especially when hyper-speed kicked in. There was no chance in the Gasman's pants that he would catch up. I could hear him for about a minute, yelling at me to slow down and relax, but it was soon drowned out by the wind and crash of the water and my racing thoughts.

What if she is dead? Why do they need her? What will they do to her? Who will be next?

I don't think I could even imagine the scenarios that could happen because I landed home ten minutes later. Thank goodness for hyper-speed.

I ran to Fang and my hut, grabbing all of my necessities that any teenage girl would need on a long trip, (deodorant, socks, a water bottle, and a change of underwear) and stuffed them into a bag I had found below the bleachers at Anacortes High. I grabbed Fang's stuff too and sprinted to the beach just as he was landing.

"Max," He wheezed. I had over exerted him by flying to fast. Oops. "You have to relax,"

"RELAX?!?" I strained. "You think I have to relax!? How can I relax at all when my mother is out there, only God knows where, with some freakin' white coats, doing only GOD knows what!?!" I folded my arms across my chest. "I have to go find her, Fang. I can't lose my brother and my mom. I'm sure Ella or Jeb will be next. I have to stop them,"

He sighed and wrapped me in a big bear hug. I inhaled and shuddered, feeling the unwanted, yet persistent tears poking out of my tear ducts. Fang rubbed my back slowly, in large circles. "Lemme tell the rest where we're going. Then we can go," He pulled back and looked at me. "It's okay, babe," He muttered, kissing my forehead. "We'll find 'em."

I hoped so.

* * *

"LET ME GO!"

The whitecoat slapped her again. Her cheek was red and raw and it pained her to talk, but she new silence would never help her.

"You assholes! Let me go, NOW!"

WHAP!

She fell face first to the concrete ground, smacking her head and yelping loudly. She reached up and felt a warm damp and red liquid emerging from her skull and winced.

The door opened and she heard footsteps walking slowly toward her, recognizing the quiet chuckle. Shadow covered her slowly and she glanced at his face. Her eyes widened. "No…" she whispered.

"Yes, Dr. Martinez."

"You can't do this! Let me go!" She tried to stand, but her legs gave up and she tumbled back down.

He gave her his hand, but she hit it away like a mosquito. "I don't need your help, Alberto." She used the counter she had been leaning on to pull herself up with what little strength she had left. "Just let me go and we can forget all about-"

"No, we can't do either. You know that, Doctor."

"You know my name, Al."

He sighed loudly and closed his eyes. "Valencia. Please understand that we need you and you need us,"

"For what?!" She felt hysterical and helpless, a feeling no one could love. "I know your plans, Al, and I absolutely cannot help you!" She swayed from side to side. She could feel the blood pumping hot in her cheeks and flowing slowly down the side of her head. Bruises were forming slowly on her left side, her eye, her arms and her stomach looking battered and bruised. Her legs were wobbling uncontrollably and she knew she couldn't stand for much longer.

Alberto suddenly opened his eyes, a glimpse of secret shining through the deep black and brown. The chuckle reappeared from behind his lips, growing louder and louder as Dr. Martinez's eyes became larger and larger.

He shook wildly as if being possessed by something wildly evil and insane. "Do you know who is in charge of this whole insane scheme? DO YOU?!" He snapped.

Dr. Martinez fell to the ground, weak and frightened. She shook her head.

"HA!" He yelled. Al got as close to her face as he could without touching her. "Valencia Martinez, you have no idea what kind of crazy mastermind is leading this insanity. She is-"

"ALBERTO! TELL ME WHO-!" She screamed with all her might, but was interrupted when he leaned further in with an rough kiss on the mouth. He sat up and looked down at her.

"This is the most pitiful side of you I have seen, Dr. Martinez." He laughed softly, still shaking like crazy. "It was nice seeing you. I really missed you."

And with that, he and the whitecoat, who had been sitting silently against the opposite wall, left the room, leaving Valencia Martinez in a bloody and astonished pile on the floor.

**A/N: REVIEWREVIEWREVIEW!!!!!!! (for those who can't read that, it says review :) and may I add a please)**


	8. A Mindblowin Headache and an Angry Blond

Worry clouded the minds of the flocks members that remained on the island. The four sat on the three logs surrounding a campfire that was in the middle of all of their cabins staring at the empty log where Max and Fang usually sat.

"Hey guys?" Nudge started again. Iggy and Gazzy sighed. Nudge had been talking all afternoon and the boys felt as if their minds would explode if they heard her say any more. "Do you guys think that Max's mom is okay? Where did she go? Who has her? I bet she is at the school. That worries me. I mean, Dr. Martinez is awesome and I'm sure she can fend on her own but-"

"NUDGE!" Iggy screamed. "I love you! But for God's sake, would you just shut up for longer than a minute!?" Every head around the campfire spun to look at the blind boy.

"You… you love me?" Nudge muttered.

Iggy sighed, feeling all eyes on him. "I'm going to bed. Night, guys." and with that, he stood up and walked to his room with 3 pairs of eyes following after him.

"I-I'm gonna go to bed too," Nudge said quietly, standing up.

"Me too. Ange, you should probably go to sleep. You look exhausted." Gazzy yawned. Angel shot him a suddenly evil look.

"I will go to bed when I am good and ready." Gazzy could feel holes burning through him from her hateful glare. He had never seen his sister, little Angel, look at anyone like this except for the Erasers and Flyboys and Jeb. She sensed his unease and her glare turned to an innocent sigh. "And I just want to be alone Gazzy. I'm not mad at you. Just leave me alone." She didn't even steal a glance of her sad eyed brother.

He stood from his place on the log and looked down at his little sister. "I don't know what is going through your mind," He whispered, shuddering in the cold of the night and lack of warmth from the fire. "But whatever you're planning on doing, you need to start thinking about everyone else. Love you, Ange." Gazzy bent down and kissed the top of Angel's head then walked off to he and Iggy's cabin.

Angel looked up into the fire, flames of hate burning through her. "I am definitely doing something," She murmured. Her voice was husky and deep, as if possessed. "And someone is on my mind… all the time…"

* * *

We landed in a cave on the side of a cliff. "Ya know, I think this is the same one we stayed in when we went after Angel," Fang said as he looked about the walls. I glanced outside.

"Yup," I pointed toward the hawk nest that was resting the exact same place it had been a little over a year ago. I felt a pair of arms stretch around my waist and turned to embrace Fang in a hug.

"We'll find her," Fang whispered, kissing my nose. "She'll be okay."

"I can't help but worry Fang."

He sighed. "I know,"

The sky was clear and starry, but I could see the sun peaking up just above the hills. We had to rest during the day so we could fly by night. "I'll take first watch," I slid to a sitting position along the wall.

He shook his head. "Go to sleep, Max."

I glared at him stubbornly. "No." He nodded. I could not let him get away with this. "Fang, sleep."

He groaned and began to lie back on the cave's floor, using his backpack as a support to his neck and head. Crawling over to his "bed", I kissed him lightly on his voluptuous lips that I love so much, and crawled back to the cave opening. I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged them tightly to me. It was getting warmer as the sun rose, but there was still that bit of breeze that dared to blow into the cave at me, making me shiver slightly.

It hit me faster than fingers snapping. The pain rattled my brain, pulling the skin across the back of my head slowly apart. I could feel my skull cracking from the pressure. I crumbled into the rocky wall behind me and began to scream uncontrollably.

Now I've had pain like this before, but it was never as horrible as it was in the cave that day.

The pain went on for hours. And hours. When it finally went away, day was diminishing into night. Fang had his arms wrapped around me and was hugging me tightly to his chest, hushing and rocking me back and forth.

"Shhh, Max!" I could hear him whisper. "It's okay! It's okay! You're alright! Oh, Max!"

The last thing I remember was hearing Fang's pleading, a hawk's scream, and the most evil cackle I've ever imagined, made by my favorite seven year old Angel.

* * *

Nudge woke to a pillow being forced in her face. Her scream was muffled but loud enough that it made Iggy sit up straight in bed and run to her room.

"Nudge!? Nu-"

_**No, Iggy. Stay where you are. **_

Iggy stopped in his tracks. He couldn't move by his own free will.

_**Go back to bed. Nothing is happening**_.

His feet turned him around. _No! _He yelled at himself. _Go back and save Nudge! _He forced himself to turn back around.

_**Iggy! Bed! **_

_No! _

Iggy walked into Nudge's room. As if by miracle, he could see the scene before him.

Nudge's wails reverberated, like echolocation, against the surrounding walls. Bright white flashes brightened everything. Iggy gasped.

"Angel! Let her go!" He yelled. He grabbed the girl's arms and shoved her backwards. The pillow fell from Angel's arms. Nudge's screams ceased, along with Iggy's newly found sight. Angel's face flushed and steam escaped from her ears like all those angry cartoon characters on TV.

_**IGGY. GO AWAY. OR I'LL COME FOR YOU NEXT . **_

"No Angel! I can't trust you! Get out now!" Iggy screamed. Hot tears were falling down his cheeks. "You can't make me do anything!"

Angel glared at Iggy with as much hatred focused on the half blind boy. Nudge watched, crying silently, as Angel turned and began to walk out but paused at the doorway. She turned her head sideways, her wings shifting out from under her backpack. "Watch out, Flock."

Angel was gone.


	9. So Angel is the Evil One

_**A/N: So here's the next chapter! Hope you like it! :) And pleeeeeeaaaaase review! :) **_

So Angel was the evil one.

Somewhere in the back of Nudge's mind, she had known it all along. How could she not? The whole time they had stayed at the island, Angel had been so closed off from everyone. And so… _angry_ all the time. Nudge would try to include her in everything, inviting her to the beach to build a sand castle, or making berry paintings on giant leaves that inhabited the surrounding trees. But Angel always would reply with a quiet, "No," and run to the ocean to speak with her fish friends.

Nudge sat on the floor in her room, hugging a pillow and rocking back and forth. She was tired, as she hadn't slept at all since her attack. She had barely said a word in the past hour, a weird occurrence for Nudge.

Gazzy sat on the edge of the bed, sobbing. Iggy had woken him up minutes after Angel had fled the scene. He had been absolutely silent since Iggy had shared the news of his sister's behavior.

Iggy was pacing the room, his flaming orange hair standing on end from the countless times he brushed a frustrated hand through it.

"How did I not see it before!?" He yelled violently.

Nudge sniffed and looked at the ground. "Nobody knew, Iggy. At least not for sure. How could we? We've done everything to keep her safe, and she's been on our side through thick and thin! I mean, I've always wondered, but-"

"But how could she do this?!" Iggy screamed and he punched the door frame. Nudge's room was situated the same way his and everyone else's room was. He also remembered the sight of it from last night's escapade. "She turned on us! She knows everything about everyone of us! Our weaknesses, our _faults_!" He pointed to his eyes angrily and Nudge's heart sank. "She knows everything! She's more dangerous than anything we've ever gone against. _ANYTHING_."

Nudge stood up and grabbed his arm with one hand and his face with the other. She pulled his face down to her own. "Iggy! Relax!" She said in a forced, but calm tone. "We need to stay calm and figure out what to do next!" Iggy looked down at her general direction and his tense muscles loosened up immediately at her touch.

Gazzy stood. "We have to run."

Nudge nodded. "And now-"

"Before she comes back." Gazzy was looking at the floor, his blue eyes red and puffy from the overflow of tears. "She's dangerous, guys. Like Iggy said, she can and _WILL_ kill us all."

The two nodded. Iggy cleared his throat. "Pack up everything. We'll leave in an hour."

* * *

_Feel. Like. Hell. _

My eyes blinked open. I was lying in the corner of the cave away from the opening. Fang had started a fire and was roasting what looked like a burger. My mouth watered violently.

He was looking into my eyes.

"Morning," I mumbled.

"How are you?" He stood, resting his burger-a-la-stick on the side of the fire and walked over to wrap me in a hug. I answered with multiple swear words that I believe captured my feelings. "Figured." He laughed. He was warm from sitting by the fire and smelled like charcoal. "Want a burger? A hot dog?"

I thanked him internally for not remaining on the subject of last night's adventure. I yawned and rubbed my sore head. Boy did it hurt. "Where'd you get 'em?"

"Store about a mile away."

"Went 'shopping'?" I winked.

"Yup." He grinned. The two of us had become pros in the shoplifting business. Our skills improved dramatically while living at the island. Especially when it came to food.

"You're awesome." I kissed his right cheek. "I'll have a burger please." I stood up and stretched facing opposite from the fire. "Make that four burgers and one hot dog to go," I added and turned to face him. He held up a plate with four decked out burgers on it and a hot dog with all the fixings on a large bun. I began to laugh. "You know me way too well."

"Only because you're darn particular," He smirked. My knees quivered at the sight of that smirk. The butterflies fluttered away in my stomach.

We sat beside our campfire while I ate my burgers. Fang began to pack everything we needed (which wasn't much) and said, "So what's the plan for today?".

"Well," I said between bites, large bites, of meat, bun, lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickle and mayo. "I was thinking flying, then kicking some major white coat butt, save Mom, then celebrate our bravery with some freshly baked cookies."

Fang chuckled. "I don't think I've seen you this optimistic before,"

"Honestly, I've never felt this optimistic before." I laughed. "What do you think of Max the optimist?" I stood and posed like Vana White, showing myself off to the hunk across the fire. (And yes, I just called Fang a hunk)

He walked over to me and kissed my burger-stuffed cheek, putting his arms around my waist. "I like. But then again, I like Max no matter what she is that day,"

(Insert major make-out scene, but only after I swallow that burger.)

* * *

The door opened to Dr. Martinez's cell. She didn't look up. She sat quietly in the back of the room, opposite from the door. She wore the ugly orange jumpsuit they had forced upon her and was reading the one thing they gave that she had asked for: the latest issue of People's Magazine.

A pair of footsteps sauntered toward her.

Valencia sighed. "What now? You can pick my brain all you want but you won't get anything more from me…" She glanced upward at the short figure before her.

She whispered a surprised, "No…"

"Yes, Miss Martinez. I can pick you're mind _way_ easier and faster than those idiots. Without pain. Without struggle," She titled Valencia's head farther upward and bent down to be face-to-face with the woman. "And without mutilating you're beautiful little head." The girl walked out, cackling maniacally.

So Angel was the evil one.

_**A/N: Review! :)**_


	10. True Feelings

**A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoy the story so far. Please review and share your comments so i know how things are going! Your reviews do count toward the story! Thanks for reading! :)**

Iggy, Nudge and the Gasman had been flying for hours.

Fang and I had had been flying for hours.

My wings were sore from the lack of flying we had done since we had moved to the island. I don't know whether it was the soreness or some after effect of the head bomb that set off last night in my skull or a mix of the two, but I was not flying very straight. Or well, for that matter. Fang had to constantly be flying below and facing me, watching both our direction and myself. After about an hour and a half of flying this way, I mad us land in Vegas.

Which probably wasn't my greatest idea.

Valencia's brain had been intruded too many times in the past three hours buy Angel's mind reading/controlling powers.

Dr. Martinez fell to the ground, huffing and puffing as if she had just been running laps. A satisfied grin crossed Angel's mouth as she turned to the doctors next to her and whispered to them. Valencia made out bits and pieces.

"No she doesn't know…" "She was there when it happened… knocked out" "She doesn't want this. Oh well." "Max belongs to her… Iggy, no… Fang… and then Nudge… Gazzy and I we…"

Upon the mentioning of her brother, Angel's face drooped, only slightly. But Valencia saw it. Gazzy had to be her weakness.

"No, Dr. Martinez. I am weak to nothing and no one."

Valencia looked up and was immediately slapped harshly across the face by one of the taller whitecoats. She recognized him.

"Al, please…" She muttered.

He nodded. She saw a glint of sorrow and pity on his face, but it was hidden by the dark, staring mask he wore.

"Have a nice nap, Valencia."

Valencia looked down and saw another whitecoat plunging a needle into her arm, pushing a dark liquid into her veins. She was out within seconds.

Nudge, Iggy and Gazzy landed in the same cave Max and Fang had just left the day before. "Looks like they were just here," Gazzy said, kicking the burnt wood from the fire.

Nudge slumped against the wall of the cave and took a two sandwiches from her backpack, which was full of food for the three. "You think Max and Fang were here?"

"They were," Iggy said, holding up a tawny feather. "Or at least Max was."

"Why don't we stay here for the night?" Gazzy removed a sandwich for himself and began to chow down.

Nudge nodded. Iggy sighed. "Angel knows this place though. She might-"

"She wouldn't know we were here, Ig." Nudge stood up. "We barely ever go to the same place twice."

The boys nodded to themselves. The three had been quiet and reserved since the night before with Angel. Nudge found Iggy to be very comforting through the whole thing, rubbing her wings after the long flight and whispering sweet words of security into her ears when she felt uneasy. Nudge couldn't help but wonder if there was ever a chance they could be together. She began to look at Iggy in a different light.

Nudge had always thought Iggy was very handsome, maybe even super model material. She was silently happy that he was blind and couldn't sense her looking when she caught herself staring at his handsome features. His shaggy strawberry-blonde hair that hung in his eyes somewhat. The pure color of his rain drop eyes. His goofy crooked smile. The freckles that appeared on his face after too much sun exposure. Nudge sighed loudly. Iggy, aware her restlessness, wrapped a comforting arm around her, causing her heart to fly around inside of her.

Gazzy sat quietly in the corner, reading a book he had found in Anacortes. It was his favorite by far, and it helped that he really hadn't read much else. The passion, excitement and suspense of Hamlet had made Gazzy read it over and over again since he found it. He glanced up at the other two, cuddling in the entrance of the cave. He wondered if he would ever find someone like Fang found Max, like Iggy found Nudge. He wanted to be a normal kid, without the whole bird factor implanted into his system. He wished that he would have a normal life, at a real school, meet and flirt with girls his age and hang out with friends on a regular basis without worrying about his winged secret.

He thought back to the day they had beat Itex, all those other bird kids that they had released before the explosion. The boy, Michael, who was part cockatoo. That one girl with red and blue and green wings who had caught his eye. Where had they all gone?

That night, Gazzy dreamed of the girl with red and blue and green wings. He dreamed that he and the girl flew off by themselves, starting a new flock and beating those assholes that tried to kill everyone. Kicking butts. Being together as a family and not just a group of couples.

His favorite part of the dream? Defeating his demonic sister and whatever plans she had to destroy everything.

**A/N: Review for more! :)**


	11. Lilly, Vegas, and Angel's Plan

The two bird kids landed quietly behind the hawks' nest near the cave and watched as the three other bird kids got settled. The tall red head was holding the darker skinned girl, rubbing her hair and kissing her forehead while she slept soundly. The smaller blonde boy curled up in the corner mumbling incoherent sentences.

"We've been following them for months and they haven't once wondered about us," Michael huffed, his yellow-feathered Mohawk ruffled.

"Not aloud," Lilly muttered. "The blonde one, Gasman, remembers us two. He was just dreaming about flying with me." She watched the dream unfold in the blonde boy's mind. The two were flying together, holding hands. They were fighting those whitecoats that treated them so cruelly at the School. In the dream, he attacks the one who is sister. "He's mad at the blonde girl."

"Angel?"

"Is that her name? How do you know that?" Lilly flipped to look at him.

He shrugged. "She thought it to me when she released me from the kennel."

Lilly glanced back at the sleeping boy and his romantically adventurous dreams. This wasn't the first time he had dreamed this and Lilly began to wonder if it would ever come true… or if she even wanted it to come true.

The two sat up for an hour more, then fell into a deep sleep under the watch of the nearby mother hawk.

Gazzy woke up to the sound of something screeching. As if on cue, a hawk flew by the entrance of the cave and toward it's nest. Gazzy's eyes followed it. He saw someone's, a girl's, blonde hair, floating in the breeze from behind the nest. With a quick peek at the sleeping duo in the corner, he took off to investigate.

It was her. The girl with the red and blue and green wings.

Gazzy stood in amazement above the girl. He was shocked. Was this coincidence? He had just been thinking about her the day before, had just dreamt about her.

The girl in question blinked her eyes open and jumped to her feet at the sight of Gazzy's dirty black converse. She stood in a fighting stance that mirrored the Gasman. "What did you do with Michael!" She growled.

"Michael?" Gazzy stepped back. "Like part cockatoo Michael? He's here?"

"Yes! Now what did you do with him!" She sneered, though inside she was hoping the Gasman was innocent. "Tell me!"

"Nothing! I promise!" He held up his hands. "I swear!"

The girl relaxed a bit. "Good." She circled Gazzy, looking him over. "What are you doing here?"

"Honestly?"

She nodded.

"Hiding."

"Why?"

Gazzy sighed loudly. "My sister-"

"Angel?"

Gazzy looked at her quizzically. "Yeah… She's kind of gone insane. She tried to kill Nudge the other day. We're worried she'll try and do worse." He looked at his shoes. "I've never talked to or met anyone our age outside the flock that had wings." He glanced up and saw her studying him.

"You mean you don't remember me?" She whispered.

Gazzy shook his head wildly. "No of course I remember you! I just, I don't know. It's weird to talk about my sister with someone other than the flock. You know?"

The girl sighed, nodding slowly. She looked up at the sky. "I'm Lilly by the way."

"The name's Gasman, but people call me-"

"Gazzy," Lilly smiled. "I know."

"How do you know all this?"

"I'm psychic. Its one of my powers. I was told I was supposed to develop more as I got older, but so far, this is all I've got."

Gazzy stared at her. This couldn't be happening! Another psychic? This could mean major trouble. What if she turned out like Angel and tried to kill the flock? "I won't! I promise!" Lilly yelped. She grabbed Gazzy's hand and searched his eyes wildly. "I just wanna help. I'm just as much against Angel as you are," Her blue eyes met his. Gazzy felt dizzy. How could one being be so beautiful? Lilly blushed. Gazzy cursed his thoughts.

"So can I help? Please?" She pleaded.

Gazzy squeeze her hand with his and smiled. "We could use all the help we can get."

Vegas, baby. The city that never sleeps. That is Vegas, right?

Anyhow, Las Vegas is crazy. We were there for about an hour and hell found us immediately.

Fang and I walked, hand in hand, down the boulevard. It was probably the only moment I will ever feel semi-normal. We past trannys of both genders, street walkers, prostitutes, dancers, jugglers, prostitutes, gamblers, prostitutes, drunk and newly married couples, prostitutes, fake Elvis' and prostitutes. Oh, and did I mention PROSTITUTES?

The hookers fawn, followed, and flirted with Fang the whole time. I wanted to throttle each and every one of their slutty necks.

"Hey there," Slutty McSlutterson, a hot blonde with fake boobs, was waltzing in uncomfortably high heels toward us. I decided to answer.

I wrapped my free arm around Fang's waist. "Hi, can you point us to the nearest hotel? I'm sure you know where all the classy one's are," Perfect. I ended my smart-ass act with a smile as fake as her chest.

Her puffy red lips pouted slightly, making my heart skip with glee. "Take the next right for the cheapest. Classy is that building right there," She pointed across the street. I glanced quickly over, fast enough to see the slut wink at Fang. He blushed. FANG. BLUSHED. It took so much of my effort not to sock her right then and there.

"Thanks," I said rudely, the faux smile still on my lips. "Let's go, Nick," And with that I yanked his butt toward the hotel.

"What the heck was that?" I yelled as soon as McSlutterson was out of ears reach. "You were drooling over her!"

Fang rolled his eyes. "Cool it, Max."

"COOL IT?"

"Yes. Cool it. Now." My eyes widened and I stopped where I stood. He turned and looked at me. "Max I'm serious. Stop."

"I did." I muttered.

He sighed loudly. "Max I love YOU. Not some hooker." My heart melted a bit as he grabbed my hand. He kissed my forehead. "Let's go."

We turned and started walked toward the hotel when it hit me again. The headache.

I hate my head.

Valencia lay tiredly on the spring mattress that the white coats had provided for here. Angel watched her sleep through the one way window and thought the plan to herself.

_Find out everything about Michael Heath from Jeb, Valencia, and the other doctors who helped make the Flock. _

_Find Michael Heath and convince him to help me. _

_Destroy Jeb, Dr. Martinez and Fang because it's what they deserve. _

_Watch Max crumble in misery._

_Kill Max for all she has done. _

_Destroy all who underestimate me. _


	12. Hospital and Heath

**A/N: Hello Readers! Sorry i haven't published in awhile. Life has been absolutely insane! Here is the next chapter. Please Review! :)**

There were two sharp knocks at the door. Angel spun around in her chair and stared intently through the door into the men's brains. _Come in. _

Angel's henchmen, who she had dubbed Moe and Bo because she didn't care what their real names were, carried the small boy into the room. He was wriggling around sharply, hitting them with every chance he had. He kept squawking loudly, his feathers ruffled on the top of his head. Angel snapped her fingers, causing Mo and Bo stepped back, releasing the boy. He huffed and fixed his yellow Mohawk.

Angel smiled. "Hello Mr. Heath."

The boy nodded. "Angel."

She waved him to sit across from her. He gave her a strange look, sitting slowly. "What is this about?"

Angel sighed dramatically. "You know exactly what this is about, Michael." She held up a manila file. "This," she whispered, passing the folder across to the boy. "This is why I need you."

Michel picked up the folder slowly. He reminded Angel of a sloth she had seen on TV with how slow he was moving. He looked over the cover and nodded.

"Well?" Angel muttered impatiently, "What do you think? Do we have a deal?"

Michael nodded again, looking up at Angel with a devious smile. "I believe we do Ms. Ariel. I believe we do."

Moe and Bo glanced at each other, exchanging frightened looks. They had never hear such evil laughing come from such young and innocent looking children.

MAX.

"Whaaa…?" I opened my eyes, not moving much because I knew that as soon as I did, the pain would come again. The light above me was too bright and I was way too light headed to stand anymore pain. I found myself sitting in a plain white room, the only hint of color being the faint yellow and pink border along the ceiling and the dark lump, also known as Fang, sitting next to me. A tube was hanging down from a large plastic bag filled with light blue goop. My eyes followed the tube… to the inside of my elbow.

I shut my eyes tight. This is about when I screamed. It's also when the headache shot back through my head. I could hear Fang yelling for someone and felt his hands on my shoulders. _**I'm dying,**_ I thought to myself. _**Dying, dying, dying- **_

There was the sound of shuffling feet enter the room. People surrounded Fang, who was holding my hand, and I and started shouting medical nonsense. I was definitely in a hospital. Fantastic.

A female, most likely a nurse: "Doctor! She's-"

Manly-Man voice: "Hand me that!"

I was out of it in a moment. I could no longer move, but I could hear all that was going on. Including the ever-slowing beep in the background of the rest of the chaos.

"Max! Listen to me," Fang was whispering in my ear. His voice was hoarse and I imagined him looking serenely calm, even though I knew he felt different. He could always hide those emotions I showed best. "Stay _here_, Max! Please! Stay with me! We need to stop Angel and get Dr. Martinez and go back together! We have to go home! _Stay here_, Max!"

_**Where else am I going to freaking go? **_I thought to myself._** I'm hooked up to some tube and surrounded by white-coat-esque people in a School-like environment and I can't even move! **_

But then it hit me. I really was dying.

Nurse lady. "She's losing a lot of blood!"

Fang. "Where? How is she losing blood!"

A man's voice. "The incision we made near her heart. She needs emergency operation-"

Angry Fang. "And you didn't tell me you were doing the BEFORE you cut open her chest!" I heard something fall. "YOU CAN'T KICK ME OUT!"

_**FANG! You can't tell me to stay and then leave! LET HIM STAY! PLEASE! **_

Manly voice. "Son! We can't have you stressing the patient-"

Pissed off Fang. "How can I freaking stress her out if she is out cold because of you, you dumba-"

Man. "Security!"

Nurse. "Doctor! She is stabilizing!"

There was silence in the room, with the exception of harsh breathing and the beeping, longer and closer together. I heard someone sobbing quietly.

"Please, Doctor," Fang whimpered. It was the saddest thing I had ever heard and I could feel my heart breaking to hear it. "Max needs me. I need Max. I can't leave her…"

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.


End file.
